SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: A general view during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday, September 10, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Last week, our fearless leader Brady and I had an entertaining conversation that stemmed from the San Francisco Giants partnering with Kalshi. I thought I’d share a bit of that because it leads into our prompt for today.
It started with Brady ironically using the Giants’ slogan: “It doesn’t get more Giant.” To which I replied, “How much do you think their PR team regrets that one?” Brady mentioned that he always thought “Game Up” was the silliest slogan. I added that “Giants baseball: there’s nothing like it” was pretty bad too, given how often it’s been memed by the fanbase.
This prompted me to suggest honest slogans for the current trajectory of the team’s future:
“Giants Baseball: And that’s a threat.” and “Giants Baseball: And what are you gonna do about it?” were my suggestions.
Brady’s suggestion was: “Giants Baseball: Deal with it.”
So now we’re bringing the conversation to you guys for your suggestions. What do you think the Giants’ slogan should be for 2027 and beyond?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this three-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at 3:40 p.m. PT.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 30: Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) reacts after reaching 1st base during the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves on August 30, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
When Hall of Famer Todd Helton retired after 17 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the carousel of replacements at first base has made for a grueling search to fill his position. For 13 years, the Rockies have tried again and again to find a first baseman who could provide stability and production at first base, but again and again they failed to do so. Helton set the bar high for the position, and no player has quite been able to reach it.
As the season has progressed, it’s become apparent that Helton and Rumfield share similarities in their playstyles. How similar are their rookie seasons? Let’s dive into some of the numbers and see what we can find.
Surface value
A glimpse at the standard counting stats shows that Helton has the upper hand in nearly every category (more on the other stat in a moment).
In 152 games during his true rookie season in 1998 — after appearing in 35 games in 1997 — Helton proved to be a productive middle-of-the-order bat that could hit for power and drive in runs. He slashed .315/.380/.530 and benefited greatly from the fearsome lineup surrounding him, featuring four of the remaining Blake Street Bombers, and the pre-Humidor environment of Coors Field.
Rumfield has proven to be a steady bat in the lineup despite the statistically weaker lineup than that of the 1998 team. He has some power hiding in his bat, but he focuses on making contact and getting on base, as he is slashing .290/.383/.437, which has helped him keep pace with Helton.
According to Baseball-Reference, their value is nearly identical. Helton accumulated 3.2 rWAR in 1998 while Rumfield currently sits at 3.3 rWAR. FanGraphs has quite a bit more disparity between the values, with Helton accumulating 2.9 fWAR and Rumfield 2.1 fWAR. Helton is the overall better player, which is absolutely reasonable and expected after all, but Rumfield is keeping pace in his own way,
While they aren’t exactly replicas of each other, it’s the similarities that are making Rumfield such an effective player this season and could help him raise his level of play in the seasons to come.
On-base machines
Let’s direct our attention to the ability that made Helton so incredible in his career and has been the highlight of Rumfield’s rookie season: getting on base.
In franchise history, the list of rookies with at least 500 plate appearances and a .380 OBP in a season is as follows:
2026: TJ Rumfield (.383)
1998: Todd Helton (.380)
That’s it; that’s the list.
As we know, on-base percentage is the rate that a player gets on base by either a hit, a walk, or a hit by a pitch. By both accounts, Rumfield and Helton excel in the two main parts of the stat’s distinctions.
Entering the final month of the season, Rumfield has 136 hits, which leads the Rockies. In 1998, Helton tallied 167 hits, which was good for fourth on the team. Now, Helton was a true hitting machine as he tallied 49 multi-hit games during his rookie year, including several four-hit games. Meanwhile, Rumfield has 34 multi-hit games, including one four-hit game. With 23 September games left to play, Rumfield could have a chance to match Helton’s rookie total, which is second in franchise history behind Troy Tulowitzki’s 2007 season total (177). Rumfield has averaged about 26 hits per month this season, but to match Helton, he needs 31, which would be a month-high this season.
As for the walks, that is where Rumfield takes the crown. Helton was always known for impeccable vision at the plate, and that translated into a solid walk rate throughout his career. In 1998, he managed 53 walks for an 8.9% walk rate, the second-lowest rate of his career. Rumfield currently possesses an 11.6% walk rate while surpassing Helton’s walk total with 63. In fact, Rumfield is likely to overtake Dexter Fowler (67) for most walks in a season by a rookie in franchise history before this week is through.
Plate discipline
The plate discipline is what is so strikingly similar between these two players. Both have been excellent at getting hits and drawing walks, but the process leading up to them is what is so interesting.
It became a trademark for Helton to deliver grinding at-bats because it was so difficult to strike him out. During his rookie season, he struck out just 54 times with a 61.3% strike rate. He was a little more eager to swing the bat back then but still averaged 3.78 pitches per plate appearance, which was above league average. Helton would average about 4.1 pitches per plate appearance the rest of his career. He made plenty of contact (88.5%) and attacked pitchers with a 29.2% swing rate on the first pitch, which isn’t a lot but enough to do damage. Such a contact-oriented approach is what made Helton successful and complemented his ability to hit for power. Let’s not forget he had a .530 slugging percentage that season with 25 home runs and 37 doubles.
Rumfield has also proven to be a stickler at the plate with a quality contact bat. Sure, he has 75 strikeouts, but that is the 24th fewest in baseball this season. Much like Helton, he has a 61.5% strike rate and has averaged 3.77 pitchers per plate appearance. That may be lower than league average this season, but that’s because Rumfield is aggressive with his 42.5% swing rate on first pitches and has a solid 80.3% contact rate. There isn’t a specific stat to indicate how many foul balls either player hit beyond the ones that counted for strikes, but it’s safe to say that Rumfield does swing earlier and more often than Helton, but tends to put more bad pitches in play. Still, Rumfield has managed a .437 SLG with 13 home runs and 26 doubles.
Splits
As mentioned before, Helton thrived at Coors Field in 1998. He mashed to the tune of a .354/.417/.585 slash in 77 games with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. That type of production made the split so drastic on the road, despite Helton putting up quality numbers. In 75 road games, he batted .273/.340/.470 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. He took advantage of his home ballpark, but Coors Field did not create Helton. He struck out more on the road, but that’s simply because opposing pitchers were terrified of throwing to him at Coors Field, so he walked more.
Rumfield, on the other hand, has been consistent regardless of whether he’s at home or away. At Coors Field, he is slashing .290/.375/.459 with eight home runs; while on the road he is batting .290/.391/.416 with five home runs. Nearly every stat for Rumfield is similar, save for RBI, because he’s just had fewer opportunities on the road. Much like Helton, Coors Field is not defining Rumfield, but rather highlighting that he is a great hitter regardless of where he plays.
The same can be said of the platoon splits. Both players are at their best against right-handed pitching with Helton punishing righties for 20 home runs and a .318 AVG. Rumfield is batting over .300 against righties as well with 11 home runs but his numbers do take a dip against lefties despite being solid enough. He only has two home run, but his .266 AVG and .367 OBP are quality enough numbers to keep him in the lineup every day instead of a platoon. Helton saw fewer opportunities against southpaws in his rookie season, but still bashed them for a .304/.394/.482 slash with five home runs in 133 plate appearances.
Either way, the ability to adapt and find consistency at the plate regardless of the varying factors is a valuable trait that so many Rockies have failed to develop over the team’s history.
Defense
Lastly, let’s touch on defense.
Over the course of his career, Helton won three Gold Gloves and was always regarded as one of the best defensive first basemen of his generation, if not baseball history. As a 24-year-old rookie, his score of 9 Total Zone in runs above average indicates that his fielding saved the Rockies roughly nine runs more than a statistically average major league first baseman would have saved over that same playing time of 146 games.
This gave him a 9.76 Range Factor per 9 innings, which was comfortably higher than the league average of 9.46 for first basemen that year. He committed only 7 errors on 1,317 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage.
Rumfield matches up with an 8 TZ, tying him for the MLB lead among first basemen. Rumfield actually accumulated his eight runs in fewer innings than Helton (982.1 vs 1,208.0). Because Rumfield plays in the modern era, his defense is also validated by modern tracking data, showing an outstanding 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Average.
The eye test helps us understand that Helton was a quality receiver at first base, but new metrics help us actually put into context how Rumfield is at manning his position and the growth he still needs to make. In his case, the eye test still holds water, and he’s become a sound first baseman for the Rockies this season and deserves to be a contender for a Gold Glove.
Conclusion
The numbers tell a clear story: Rumfield’s disciplined eye, split-neutral bat, and surprisingly stellar glove match up with Helton’s 1998 campaign in ways few thought possible for a rookie.
While Helton remains a franchise icon whose rookie ceiling was elevated by a legendary surrounding cast, Rumfield is carving out a dynamic identity of his own. He is getting on base at a historic clip, anchoring an infield defense in desperate need of stability, and giving Rockies fans their first genuine taste of long-term answer at first base since Number 17 walked away.
Whether Rumfield takes home the Rookie of the Year hardware or a Gold Glove this fall, one thing is certain: the 13-year search is officially over. The Rockies have finally found their guy at first base, and the best may be yet to come.
The Albuquerque Isotopes out-hit Tacoma 11-10, but scored just three runs as they lost 6-3. Every Isotope had a hit, with Bryant Betancourt going 3-for-4. Roc Riggio also contributed his third home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Isotopes went 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while the Rainers with 3-for-10 with RISP. It was a bullpen day for Albuquerque as Ryan Miller made the start with two innings of work, giving up a run. Blake Adams followed and took the loss after giving up four runs in the fourth inning. Parker Mushinski then gave up a run in 1.1 innings, followed by a trio of relievers who gave up just one hit.
The Hartford Yard Goats collected 11 hits, but it didn’t pay off until they scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for a 5-3 victory. Andy Perez, Jacob Humphrey, and Cole Messina each had two hits to lead the offense. Perez and Messina both doubled in runs in the seventh and Jared Thomas delivered an RBI single to cap the scoring. On the mound, Sam Weatherly fired two scoreless innings to start the game and was followed by four innings from Cade Denton, who allowed three runs. Victor Juarez and Austin Smith closed out the game with three scoreless innings.
It was a tough night offensively for the Spokane Indians as they scored just one run on six hits in a 7-1 loss. Spokane’s lone run came in the second inning on an RBI double from Clayton Gray to score Robert Calaz. On the mound, Aiden May made the start, allowing four runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings of work. The bullpen fared better, allowing three runs in three hits over 4.1 innings between four arms.
Tied 4-4 through the first seven innings, the Fresno Grizzlies and San Jose Giants combined for six runs, with the Giants coming out on top 8-6. Fresno took a brief lead in the bottom of the eighth, but San Jose scored three in the top of the ninth. Ashly Andujar had two hits for Fresno, while Juan Martinez also had two hits and drove in four runs. Sandy Ozuna made the start, allowing three runs through four innings of work. Grif Hughes then delivered four strong innings, allowing just two runs on one hit. Yanzel Correa had a rough night, giving up the three runs on two hits in the ninth.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about expectations for the final month of the season, the struggles of Tomoyuki Sugano, and the Cole Carrigg finger incident.
Due to the looming lock out in December, it would appear the Rockies are going to hold off on calling up Charlie Condon to ensure he can continue utilizing the team’s resources in the offseason and also leave a 40-man spot open for other players they need to protect in the offseason.
In case you missed the news, SB Nation has released a new app! You can easily access the Purple Row community to read articles, participate in game discussion threads, and access other communities.
Rolando Fernandez, vice president of international scouting & development for the Rockies, has organized a GoFundMe for former Rockies prospect Gabriel Barbosa. Barbosa was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer and is preparing for the arrival of his first child.
Besides the Rams and Angels, Kroenke owns Arsenal in the Premier League, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and other teams. Here’s is a list of his sporting portfolio.
Josh Peter calls soon-former Angels owner Arte Moreno as the “Worst Owner in Baseball.” Yet, as he notes, he bought the team for $183 million in 2003 and is selling it for $4 billion today, so even the worst owner in the game is making out like a bandit.
It’s ironic that shortly before the Angels sale was announced yesterday, The Athletic writers Melody Gutierrez, Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal released about the Dodgers sale to Mark Walter 14 years ago. (The Athletic sub. req.) Walter’s finances have been under question with his sale of the Lakers, and this article claims that MLB owners had questions and were “unlikely” to have approved Walter as owner with his sketchy financing, but their hands were mostly tied by the bankruptcy court judge.
Jay Jaffe looks at how White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters has totally defied (low) expectations in his rookie campaign. Much has been made of how Peters is a former Savannah Banana, although he played for the Bananas when they were still a college wooden bat league team, although they did do a lot of wacky stuff before games and between innings.
Beloved French “Voice of the Expos” Jacques Doucet has passed away at 86. Our sympathies go out to his friends, family, and all of you who still consider yourselves an Expos fan.
And finally, if you want to feel old, 27-year-old Darren Baker has signed a minor league deal with the Giants. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) For those of you too young to remember, don’t rub it in. Also, Baker is the son of Dusty Baker who, at age 3, served as the Giants’ team batboy in the 2002 World Series and almost got run over at the plate were it not for a quick-thinking J.T. Snow. Baker is asked about that incident all the time but he always has the same response—he was too young to remember it.
Sep 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning Birdland,
Being a .500 team was cool while it lasted! The Orioles dipped right back to a losing record with their 4-2 loss on Tuesday night in Denver. Kyle Bradish labored, only getting through five mediocre innings. Luis De León debuted out of the bullpen and gave up a two-run homer, which proved to be the difference. And the Orioles offense was disappointing against a Rockies starter that entered the game with an ERA approaching seven.
Jackson Holliday had three of the teams seven hits, including his seventh home run of the season, which tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, but he also made a bad error with the debutant De León on the mound. Tough to complain too much about him when the rest of the offense did so very little.
As a team, the Orioles created just three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. They went 0-for-3 in such situations. The only other run they scored came in the third inning, when Gunnar Henderson hit into a double play that saw the first baseman make the force out at first, and throw to second for the tag out. Pete Alonso smartly stopped and ran back towards first base, which bought just enough time for the run to score.
Despite the reputation of Coors Field as an offensive haven, the Orioles haven’t had much success in the first two games of this series. They have scored just four runs over 18 innings of baseball. The streakiness of this lineup cannot even be healed by the thin Colorado air.
Elsewhere, the Guardians beat the Blue Jays 6-1, the Mariners beat the Red Sox 9-6, the Twins beat the Tigers 15-2, the Rangers beat the Athletics 8-5, and the White Sox beat the Astros 5-1.
All of that leaves the Orioles 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the AL’s final wild card spot.
The Orioles and Rockies will wrap up their three-game series this afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. with Trevor Rogers (9-9, 4.38 ERA) on the mound to face old friend Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8, 5.23 ERA). Then the Birds fly home for a big four-game set with the Red Sox.
Links
Luis Robert Jr. joins the Orioles, a sign the owners ‘believe in this team’ | The Baltimore Banner It just made too much sense for the Orioles to not try and get Robert for the stretch run. It’s going to be an expensive month, but don’t forget that the team dumped a bunch of salary at the trade deadline, so they have some wiggle room. Robert, a right-handed hitter that can play a decent center field, should see regular playing time against left-handed pitching.
Looking back at flurry of Orioles roster moves | Roch Kubatko The decision to call up Heston Kjerstad instead of someone like Enrique Bradfield Jr. is an interesting one. Perhaps with Robert also coming in, the Orioles didn’t feel like they needed the speed or the glove of Bradfield. This feels like Kjerstad’s last chance to prove to this organization that he can be productive at the big league level.
Dusten Knight turns 36 today. Perhaps known best for his celebratory backflips in the minors, Knight made his big league debut with the Orioles in 2021, pitching in seven games that season.
Jason Hammel is 44 years old. Acquired from the Rockies prior to the 2012 season, the righty emerged as, arguably, the staff ace of the team that brought winning back to baseball. He had a 3.43 ERA over 118 innings in 2012, followed by a less enjoyable campaign in 2013.
Rex Hudler turns 66. His 13-season MLB career included a 14-game pit stop in Baltimore during the 1986 season. After his playing career came to an end, he became a well-regarded broadcaster for the Angels and now the Royals, plus being the color commentator in several versions of the video game, MLB The Show.
The late Drungo Hazewood (b. 1959, d. 2013) was born on this day. He played in five games for the Orioles in 1980.
John Flinn is 72 years old. The pitcher had two short stints in Baltimore. He appeared in 17 games between 1978 and ‘79, and then five more in 1982.
Nate Snell turns 74. He began his big league career with three seasons pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen, from 1984 through ‘86.
Dave Criscione is 75. The seven games he played for the 1977 Orioles were the only time he played in the big leagues.
A posthumous birthday for Marv Throneberry (b. 1933, d. 1994). He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1961-62.
This day in O’s history
1960 – The Orioles beat the Yankees 5-0 thanks to a strong pitching performance from Milt Pappas. The O’s now trail the Bombers by mere percentage points in the standings, .003 to be exact.
2012 – Mark Reynolds hits two home runs and Randy Wolf gets the win on the mound with 3.1 solid innings of relief as the O’s beat the Yankees 8-3 and move to within two games of the AL East leaders.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 19: Jonathan Santucci #12 of the New York Mets pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jonathan Santucci was solid, throwing five-innings of two-run ball, both runs coming on a pair of solo homers in the fourth, but Mets had built up a solid lead by that point, scoring six runs in the game’s first three innings. The southpaw ended up getting his first Triple-A win and 40th rounder Brian Metoyer locked down his first Triple-A save. With their win against the division-leading Red Wings, the Syracuse Mets now find themselves 3.5 games back in the standings.
The Fisher Cats were in control of this ballgame for most of it, but Binghamton took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on held on to win it. The victory, combined with Reading’s loss to Hartford, leaves them 3.5 games behind in the division.
This one was a continuation of a game that was suspended way back on July 5th. The game was tied 2-2, with the Cyclones just having tied things up on a Mitch Voit sac fly. When things returned, neither team was able to score within the next two innings, forcing the game into the tenth. Brooklyn wasn’t able to cash in on their ghost runner, but the Keys were in the bottom of the frame.
Both teams had a long layover waiting for this one to start on account of the rain, but when it did, the Cyclones got down to business quickly, with Elian Pena hitting a triple, Aiden Robbins driving him in with a single, and Robbins eventually getting driven in himself on a Yonatan Henriquez sac fly. Nick Carreno responded to their efforts by leading off the bottom of the inning walking three consecutive batters to load up the bases, allowing three runners to score and putting the Cyclones in an early hole. The Keys added a few insurance runs, and while the Cyclones were only able to get two of those runs back, solo homers off the bats of Robbins and Antonio Jimenez. With the two losses, the defending South Atlantic League champion Cyclones have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. On the bright side, Aiden Robbins- who I wasn’t much of a fan of on draft day because of concerns with his mechanics- is looking more and more legit.
St. Lucie and Jupiter were evenly matched for the majority of this ballgame, with the Hammerheads coming back down three runs early to tie things up and with the Mets coming back down three runs late to tie things up again. The pivotal run of the game came in the eighth, with the score tied 6-6. Hammerheads reliever Kifraidy Encarnacion melted down, walking Kuhio Aloy, Yovanny Rodriguez, and Jack Toomey to load up the bases. Needing one out to get out of the jam, he walked Branny De Oleo to force in a run, the winning run.
Happy birthday to Christian Bethancourt, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1965 – The Cubs beat St. Louis, 5-3, at Wrigley Field, as Ernie Banks hits his 400th home run, a three-run shot off Curt Simmons in the third. Simmons teed up the 400th home run of Willie Mays in 1963. Banks will end the season with 28 home runs and 106 RBI. Ron Santo and Billy Williams will also knock in over 100 runs, the only team with three such sluggers, but the Cubs will still finish in eighth place; and 1972 – Milt Pappas of the Cubs hurls a no-hit game in beating the Padres, 8-0. Pappas has a perfect game until pinch-hitter Larry Stahl walks with two outs in the 9th inning. Pappas and C Randy Hundley both say of the pitches to Stahl, “They were so close I don’t know how Stahl could take them, but they were balls.” Pappas later comments on the plate umpire: “he had a chance to become famous as the umpire in the twelfth perfect game in history, but he blew it.” Pappas retires former Cub Garry Jestadt to finish the game, and other stories as well.
1912 – At Boston, Christy Mathewson wins both games for the Giants in a 5-2 and 6-1 sweep of the Braves. In the opener, Matty relieves Rube Marquard in the ninth with the score at 2-2 and tosses three shutout innings. Larry Doyle ends it with a three-run homer in the 12th. Matty coasts to his 19th win in the nitecap after the Giants chase Ed Doheny with five runs in the third.
1955 – Whitey Ford throws six innings of no-hit ball against Washington before Carlos Paula spoils it in the seventh with Washington’s only hit. The Yanks win, 4-2, as Mantle hits his 36th home run, a three-run shot. Mantle is ten homers ahead of rivals Al Kaline and Ted Williams.
1958 – At Yankee Stadium, New York snaps a scoreless tie with Boston when Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle crash back-to-back sixth-inning homers off Dave Sisler. New York wins, 6-1. Mantle and Berra will hit back-to-back homers 12 times together, and homer in the same game 50 times before they are through.
1962 – Stan Musial‘s 3,516th hit jumps him over Tris Speaker and into second place behind Ty Cobb on the all-time list, but the Mets beat the Cards, 4-3. Although The Man will continue on to 3,630 hits, he cannot overtake Cobb and, in time, Pete Rose and Hank Aaron will surpass him.
1966 – Phillies ace Jim Bunning continues his whammy over the Mets by shutting them out, 6-0. It’s Bunning’s eighth complete game in as many starts against them, and his fifth shutout.
1966 – The Pirates behind Bob Veale take over first place by topping Fergie Jenkins and the Cubs, 7-5, on Roberto Clemente‘s opposite-field upper deck home run. Besides being his 2,000th career hit, Clemente’s homer is his 23rd this season, tying his career high (he’ll end with 29), and gives him 101 RBI for the year, the first time he’s topped 100.
2020 – The family of Hall of FamerTom Seaver announces that he has passed away on August 31st at 75, after suffering from Lewy body dementia for some time, a condition aggravated by COVID-19. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, he remains the biggest icon in the history of the New York Mets.
1926 – In the first game of a twinbill between Chicago and St. Louis, Grover Alexander exacts revenge on the Cubs, whipping them, 2-0. Charlie Root is the loser. The Cards take the nightcap, 9-1.
1929 – The Cubs beat the Cards twice, 11-7 and 12-10, before 81,000 fans at Wrigley Field. A crowd of 38,000 sees the morning game and 43,000 watch the afternoon game. Rogers Hornsby has two home runs and Hack Wilson has one.
1932 – In St. Louis, the Cubs’ win streak reaches 13 as Kiki Cuyler‘s fifth homer in six games leads the way to an 8 – 5 victory. Mark Koenig adds a round-tripper for Chicago.
1955 – Cubs star Ernie Banks sets the record for home runs hit by a shortstop by hitting his 40th dinger in a 12-2 rout of the Cardinals. ‘Mr. Cub’ will extend the record finishing this season with 44 and will hit 48 in 1958.
2002 – The Cubs beat the Brewers, 17-4, to salvage a split in their doubleheader after Milwaukee takes the opener by a score of 4-2 on solo homers by Ron Belliard (2), Eric Young and Jose Hernandez. Glendon Rusch wins his eighth straight over the Cubs. Chicago P Kerry Wood ties a major-league record in the second game by fanning four Brewers in the fourth inning.
1642 – English Long Parliament issues Ordinance ordering closure of London theatres including the Globe theatre, once part-owned by William Shakespeare.
1666 – Great Fire of London begins at 2am in Pudding Lane, 80% of London is destroyed.
1864 – US Civil War: Union General William T. Sherman captures and occupies Atlanta, Georgia, ending the Atlanta Campaign in the US Civil War.
1901 – Theodore Roosevelt advises “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” in an address to the Minnesota State Fair, entitled “National Duties”.
1960 – American sprinter Wilma Rudolph wins the coveted 100m gold medal at the Rome Olympics in 11.0; beats Britain’s Dorothy Hyman by 0.3. It’s the first of three gold medals for Rudolph.
1969 – The first automated teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Centre, New York.
Today in music history:
1972 – Rod Stewart‘s first No. 1 hit single in the UK, “You Wear It Well”.
1991 – “Ropin’ the Wind,” the third studio album by Garth Brooks is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1992).
2023 – American rock band Aerosmith kicks off “Peace Out: The Farewell Tour” with concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Detroit Tigers took a spanking at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, succumbing to a 10-run rally in the sixth inning en route to a 15-2 defeat. For the second night in a row, the Olde English D was left bruised and battered, having been outscored at Target Field so far, 26-3.
RIP run differential.
Getting the nod for the final game of the series for the Motor City Kitties is right-hander Drew Anderson, who will make his eighth start of the 2026 campaign. The 32-year-old has been perfectly serviceable since returning to the starting role, posting a solid 3.38 ERA but a concerning 5.55 FIP over four games stretching across 18 2/3 innings, allowing 17 hits (four home runs) and 10 walks while striking out 18, taking an L while his team lost three of those four outings.
Anderson has faced Minnesota twice this summer in relief, allowing a run on two hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 2/3 frames of work, picking up a hold in the process.
For the home team, fellow righty Dean Kremer will climb the hill for the American League Central battle. Since being traded to the Twins at the deadline, the 30-year-old has put up a 4.39 ERA and 4.06 FIP — numbers that are much improved over what he did with the Baltimore Orioles (6.50 ERA, 6.22 FIP) earlier this year — allowing 19 hits (three home runs) and 11 walks while striking out 23 and uncorking a wild pitch over his last 26 2/3 innings.
The Tigers absolutely slaughtered Kremer when they saw him with the O’s on July 28 right before the trade, scoring eight runs on eight hits (two home runs) and three walks against four strikeouts over four frames to hand him his fourth loss in a 14-0 blowout.
Take a look below at the matchup between the two hurlers in the series finale on Wednesday night.
Detroit Tigers (63-75) vs. Minnesota Twins (67-72)
Time (ET): 7:40 p.m. Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 139: RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.87 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.60 ERA)
Aug 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (right) tags out Philadelphia Phillies base runner Kyle Schwarber at home plate in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If the Padres’ former owners are getting what they got and the Angels are being sold for their valuation, what do you think the Phillies would fetch if John Middleton decided to put them up on the market for sale?
After hosting the Pirates series at home, the Cardinals could have been a .500 team or even a winning team; however, the Cardinals lost that series and hover a win or two away from the 70 win plateau. Why am I watching that closely? Why, it’s the number of wins Vegas odds predicted the Cardinals would win. If you are a betting Cardinals fan, rejoice! You are sure to be seeing a payout there. I almost made that bet back in April, but alas, I’m not a betting man.
To start out the season, I was writing warped projections articles showing how it wouldn’t be that hard for the Cardinals to get to around .500 or even surpass that mark. Well they certainly have the ability to go over .500, they just can’t stay over by more than 9 games. They also cannot seem to sink too far below the .500 line, but they still have a month to lose. I think they will be fine, -ish. They surely would have, could have, had a stronger finish if stalwart players like Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, Andre Pallante, and the up and coming Hunter Dobbins all could have stayed healthy. But here we are, entering the final month, under .500 and missing key players.
It sure looks like the Cardinals could end up as many as ten or more games below .500, or the team could simply continue to tread water, struggling with .500. Promotions to players like Winquest, Bernal, and Rincon feel more like auditions for next year at this point. So beyond looking forward to seeing how the young players close out the season and set themselves up for 2027, what else is there to do? I don’t know about you, but I feel like reminiscing about what has happened during the first 5 months of the season. Already feeling nostalgic? I guess!
But first, another look at the Rookie of the Year race, which is voted on by a (hopefully) diverse group of assessors that know what they are doing regarding player evaluations…
Who do you vote for if you like defense? JJ Wetherholt gets rookie of the year here. Unless somehow the other players make up some WAR really quick, the vote probably goes to JJ regarding overall value too, unless you just scoff at and completely write off the WAR stat, which many have (I haven’t).
Who do you vote for if you mostly like hitting, but want it coupled with good defense? Carson Benge is probably your guy then. He is possibly the most well-rounded player here, given his steadily increasing OPS, his strong throwing arm, and steady defense in right field.
Who do you vote for if you want them good ol’ counting stats like HR and RBI? Sal Stewart has somehow racked up over 100 RBI already, despite being stuck on one of the worst offenses in baseball. That alone is very impressive, and the fact that he had no problem getting to 30 HR either… some will see this guy as a shoe in. Well I am very impressed, his defense cannot compare with either Benge or Wetherholt, it is the weakness in his game. Benge also is the far superior baserunner and all around baseball playing athlete, as is Wetherholt.
Who do you vote for if you think a good pitcher should always supplant a good hitter? Nolan McLean would be a perfect option then, with his bright and shiny ERA and his 3+ WAR total, already making him one of the best pitchers in baseball.
I won’t be able to fault you picking any of those 4 guys to win it right now. I of course would just defer to WAR and my own fandom here and vote JJ, but then again, if he misses ample playing time, he may get passed up or tied in WAR if something outlandish happens over the last month.
2026 Cardinals Position Players by WAR
A Grade Cardinals
2B JJ Wetherholt had the right combination of defense and above average hitting this year to amass 4.4 fWAR in 130 games played. He arrived as such a valuable player by playing outlandish defense while sustaining an on-base percentage of .343 at leadoff, while occasionally wearing some pitchers down. He may not have many games left to add to his 17 HR total, but even 17 was more than we had imagined. Wetherholt gets an A for his rookie season, even if it’s already over. If you’re curious, Baseball Reference rates JJ even higher at 4.6 WAR. If JJ were to play a 150 game season, he would have no problem cracking 5 WAR.
Injury update: the earliest JJ can come back is Sept 9, and I think the Cardinals expect him to be back then.
RF Jordan Walker has so far inverted his -1.3 fWAR from last season into a +3.1 fWAR as it stands today. This is still the biggest surprise of the season. While Wetherholt doubled his projections, Walker threw the script on himself out the window. The new Walker has emerged, and this version won the Home Run Derby. He is still a liability in right field, but possesses a cannon for an arm to help offset that a little. When you’re chasing down 30 home runs and hitting better than most of the league, you get an A. When you better yourself by over 4.5 WAR from last year, you might deserve an A+, even. There is still work to be done, however, mostly on defense, but an A is enough. Good work Jordan Walker. Prediction: 3.5 WAR, 30 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB.
1B Alec Burleson the story of Burly goes back to 2022-2023, where he was a below average hitter working his way up. Since then, Alec Burleson has taken his own form of hitting and made it better each season. He remains hacktastic and a little prone to lefties, but he has worked on his weakness. One of which was on-base percentage. Burly has bettered himself by upping his OBP every season. While his batting average seems to have maxed out, Burleson has raised his OBP markedly each season:
2022 .264 OBP
2023 .300 OBP
2024 .314 OBP
2025 .343 OBP
2026 .353 OBP
Walks may be boring, but they open the doors to more runs and even more power. Burleson has already tied his career-high HR total of 21 (2024) while walking a lot more often than that year. Going to have to give out another A. Burly now has 100 RBI, which is easily his career high. What can Burly do to continue his constant improvements? He can lower his strikeouts and keep improving vs left-handed pitching. Of course, if he can play defense even better next year which I believe he will, that’s just another way he can continue to become even more valuable.
B–
SS Masyn Winn daredevil shortstop with the difference maker arm, eliminating baserunners gets a B. The hitting is below average, but enough for a plus defender that is difficult to pin down, value-wise. Wetherholt and Winn turned so many double plays it made my head spin. Winn altered his batting style this year, upping his on base percentage but seeing everything else falter on offense. Prorated to 150 games, Winn is still a 3+ WAR player and a key part of the defense.
LF Joshua Baez I would give Baez a B but his wRC+ is still around Masyn Winn territory. He gets the B- for hitting home runs at a pace of about a home run per series, but mostly because he’s only played in 16 games and I don’t really know what to say about him just yet. The power has been enormous so far: .315 ISO! Far too early, but it’s been a fun debut for the youngster. The statcast numbers aren’t really out yet except for his sprint speed, which is 89th percentile, and his average exit velocity is among the best at 93.4!
Update: Baez now has 6 HR! and is above 100 wRC+.
C+
C/DH Ivan Herrera’s season has come down to him breaking a record by getting hit by pitches (not on purpose!) and well, should he even be a catcher. While he might be the team’s best blocker, he isn’t very good at catching overall. On a team crowded with catchers, it begs the question, should a guy who can’t throw runners out even bother catching? The complicating factor, other than Ivan may not be suited to playing any other position: he doesn’t hit well when he is the designated hitter. He turns into a pumpkin. Do you continue to let him catch, or try to trade him in the offseason? That’s the choice, in my opinion.
How do we grade Herrera against his past self? His power numbers are down but his on-base percentage is up. He takes more walks but isn’t striking out more. I think ultimately he is having a weird off year because of all the hit by pitches and never quite finding his rhythm. As a big Herrera fan, I wanted to give him a better grade, but he has just been an above average hitter that sets the tone at the top of the lineup, very similar to JJ at leadoff. The defensive metric numbers are very similar to Jordan Walker’s, so he will probably be dragged down in value by his defense going forward each year. Here’s hoping he can figure out to hit more as a DH or moving to another position that he is better at. He is fine as a backup catcher, but you want to get the bat into the lineup more often.
C
OF Bryan Torres looks to be a good bench player depth piece! If you started his .6 WAR 150 games, he would be about a 1.65 WAR guy. So I don’t see him stealing a starting spot. But I am definitely not disappointed with Torres. Batting league average with a few home runs while playing decent defense. That works.
C Pedro Pages I give Pedro a lot of crap off and on throughout the season, but ultimately in a way he is like the “lite” version of Masyn Winn. Good defense, bad offense. Pedro should hit better next year, but you cannot expect more than an 80 wRC+ from this guy. I like the plus defense. But the hitting can be bad, using this season as an example: 59 wRC+ is Victor Scott II territory. Unfortunately, Pedro cannot match that kind of elite defense. That said, Pages is perfectly fine as a backup catcher.
CF Everson Pereira’ his 109 wRC+, ISO north of .200, and pretty decent defense make me want to think of him as something more, but he just hasn’t played for the Cardinals enough to assign more than the default C grade, especially if he will be more of a bench guy. That said, I really like this random acquisition, and he’s been fun to watch (except when seeing his hand get smashed by a pitch!). Prorate his .5 fWAR to 2+ WAR. Maybe that’s our center fielder next year, or at least half the platoon! Perhaps a C+ is in order.
Update: now that Victor Scott II has been recalled, I would bet the Cardinals let Pereira heal up for a while.
CF Nathan Church has held his own despite a BABIP of .266. His 10 HR total has been nice. But! his .2 fWAR over 118 games is less than encouraging. Maybe a C-? He needs to improve on that defense (as does Pereira to some extent). Perhaps my biggest concern with Church is the batting average and especially the on-base percentage, but maybe next year will be better for the left-handed hitter.
3B Blaze Jordan while there have been some flashes of brilliance so far, the fact that his season has been tragically shortened by injury will force us to wait and see. The resulting left ankle sprain will have him missing several weeks of play. Blaze did not show a ton of power or on-base ability, but his defense was solid at the hot corner. Not a total disappointment, but definitely not much of a reinforcement either. Gorman was just that bad.
D
C Jimmy Crooks was a replacement level catcher with decent defensive abilities in 52 games played. You might be surprised he hit 5 home runs over that span of time, because his .179 BA due to a .232 BABIP and well, just not connecting with the ball most of the time made every plate appearance a difficult watch. 32.2% K rate.
F
Nelson Velazquez, Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and Yohel Pozo did not make the cut, all had negative WAR, and ties were severed quickly. And yet, the worst negative fWAR “offenders” Nolan Gorman, Ramon Urias, and Cesar Prieto remain on the team. Granted, Saggese and Scott could theoretically be promoted, I just don’t see it happening. Nolan Gorman is still striking out over 32% of the time on the season. So, prorating his season out, Gorman would be one of the most painful ways to get 20 HR while playing mediocre defense at third base. That is not actually a good player when you aren’t doing much else but hitting home runs at a boring clip. While I don’t think Urias is as bad as his statline, he certainly has not been an asset. Many fans are wondering what the point of him being on the team is, other than being the veteran present. Prieto has been nearly legendarily bad in little playing time.
Some things about this season just do not compute, it’s been a weird year. It’s been fun, but the offense and bullpen are too inconsistent. There are about 3 players that are very good MLB producers, but two of them rely a lot on pulling off amazing defensive plays, with the other one being a first baseman.
What is the main flaw of the offense? They don’t strike out much, but they don’t like taking walks. I’m not sure how much this matters because of what the Brewers are doing, but they’re in the bottom 10 teams in HR total as an offense. With a .281 BABIP as an offense, I can tell you there is a pattern with certain players just not having a good BABIP, appearing unlucky at least to some extent. Wetherholt, Winn, etc.
Ok, so, I was wrong about Victor Scott II on Monday night! He’s back now! Guess that’s the main update for one day of a news gap. I think he will make the pitching staff a little more confident. The hitting can’t be much worse than a Church 80-ish wRC+. The catches will look easier out there... or Scott will be a good late-inning defensive replacement.
1996: The Year In Music
I am back to provide you with not the most popular opinions on music, but also, not the most obscure. Join me as I walk a line between total hipster underground albums you’ll never ever hear, and some albums that you are probably all too aware of! And everything in between, hopefully.
Meat Beat Manifesto – ‘Subliminal Sandwich’ industrial dub techno psychedelic multi-genre masterpiece, I can never get enough of this 160 minute masterpiece. I could write many words trying to get you to hear this, but I’ll just put it at the top of the list instead. Perfect double album. Or is that quadruple album? It was two 80 minute CDs… sometimes more is better.
Swirlies – ‘They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days In The Glittering World Of The Salons’ well, I have to admit, I like this album just as much as my #1 there. But, it’s a much different sound, more like shoegaze style. Alt rock, noise pop, psychedelic smart kid music, I don’t know what to call it. Indie rock. It’s one of the best most thrilling listens out there. That’s what I’ll say about it. It’s really fucking good.
Aphex Twin – ‘Richard D James Album’ the album title is the name of the mastermind behind Aphex Twin, and this was his original breakthrough album, although maybe he became even more well known for his subsequent EPs ‘Come To Daddy’ and ‘Windowlicker’. Nonetheless, as a fan you must always come back to this album, as it distills his future styles with his multi-layered past into a perfect capture of the multi-layered and tiered mid-90s burgeoning electronic music movement. Many didn’t even hear it until a year or two, few after its release… but once you hear it, it’s unforgettable.
Ministry – ‘Filthpig’ if those two albums are my favorites, then Filthpig deserves a double dipped silver medal since it’s my favorite Ministry album and they’re one of my favorite bands. I am more on the metal/noise rock end of the spectrum of Ministry fans, I suppose. This is an absolutely incredible production. I put it in my album hall of fame, as I did the first two albums from this year. 1996 was a helluva year for music in my book.
Unwound – ‘Repetition’ post-punk ingenuity meets noise rock together forming a force that blows the roof off the joint. This one’s got the juice. Peak years for the northwest’s Unwound. Cannot recommend enough. Check it out to hear Sarah Lund’s unique drumming, if for no other reason.
Squarepusher – ‘Feed Me Weird Things’ an amazingly funky futuristic sounding album, especially for 1996, which appears to have been a good year to release breakthrough sounds. This one has grown on me over the years, and I love it more with each listen. Tom Jenkins used to share an old bank building with Aphex Twin. Anyway, Feed Me Weird Things is just an amazing collection of experimental funky jazz fusion drum and bass meets IDM, resulting in new musical forms.
Dr Octagon – ‘Dr Octagonecologyst’ an incredible listening experience produced by dj Dan The Automator and narrated by bizarre genius Kool Keith.
Dr. Octagon, paramedic fetus of the East With priests, I’m from the Church of the Operating Room With the strikes of force, scalpels since the Holocaust I do indeed in greed, explore meet the patients Back to brooms with the nurse with the voodoo curse Holding up office lights, standing at huge heights Back and forth, left wing swing to North East and South with blood pouring down your mouth I come prepared with the white suit and stethoscope Listen to your heartbeat—delete, beep, beep, beep! Your insurance is high, but my price is cheap Look at the lamp (Let me show you showmthin’)
And with that, I’m going to leave with my 7 favorite albums of 1996. I will have more ‘96 next week, all my honorable mentions and heavy metal and whatnot. But these are my 7 can’t miss 1996 listening experiences.
It’s another late one in LA tonight, adn the night after. Then the quest continues to Denver and the Rockies later this week. Stay tuned!
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: (R-L) Trent Grisham #12, Spencer Jones #78 and Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees during fielding practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 31, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are gearing up to welcome Aaron Judge back into the fold sometime soon, perhaps as soon as this current road trip is over. When he returns to the lineup, the team will at last have their Opening Day outfield of Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham all healthy again. However, while the team hasn’t had nearly as much of Judge as they’d like and Bellinger has also missed a decent chunk of time, they’ve gotten a good look at Grisham in 2026 and unfortunately the results haven’t been good.
Grisham’s offense has taken a significant hit compared to his breakout 2025, posting a 97 wRC+ that’s a full 30 points lower than last year’s mark while playing increasingly worse defense out in center field. His luck at the plate was rather unfortunate for the first month before a strong May and June brought him back in line, but after looking nonexistent in July it’s become more and more apparent that the decline he’s faced is closer to reality than the Yankees would like. The team didn’t have much choice but to continue running him out there as the outfield depth has been tested throughout the year, but now that they’re at full strength there’s one option they can make. The team can continue to run Grisham out there to close out the year, or they could lean on the power of one of their top prospects in Spencer Jones as he starts to figure things out at the major league level.
Jones’ first couple cups of coffee as a Yankee didn’t do much to inspire confidence that his swing could play in the majors yet, showcasing the massive holes that had been apparent down in the minors. He ran a strikeout rate north of 40 percent through June, but a major turnaround began when he was called back up at the end of July. He’s managed to pull back that strikeout rate a touch, still running a high 32 percent in August, and he’s provided a power boost to the lineup in the process. His defense is still awkward at best, but considering how Grisham looks covering balls out there nowadays I’d have a hard time saying Jones is worse.
It’s a tough choice for the Yankees to make, but their best lineup might just be with Jones penciled in rather than Grisham. There’s little else they can do to optimize their chances to win at this point — the infield has been brought up a level with George Lombard Jr. manning shortstop and Luis García Jr. at first base, Cody Bellinger has been one of the best left fielders in baseball and shouldn’t be messed with shifting him around, and Judge will play right field out of necessity but can’t give 100 percent on defense with his rib injury. They have the month of September to figure out which of the two outfielders can ride a hot streak into October, but the odds might favor Jones as he’s adapted his swing since his initial callup. Which one would you trust to start the lion’s share of games going forward? Let us know down below in the comments.
We’ve got a busy day ahead of us while we wait for the late night rubber match out on the West Coast. Peter gives a trio of Yankees the spotlight in his At-Bat of the Week, Andrew has the Rivalry Roundup featuring Freddy Peralta exacting some revenge on the Mets after a terrible first half with them, and Nick gives Monte Pearson his flowers on his birthday. Then in the afternoon we’ve got some division check-ins, with Sam, Jeremy, and John covering the NL East, Central, and West respectively.
Sep 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Angel Genao (17) rounds the bases after hitting a pinch-hit, two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Guardians hitters hit 3 home runs, all with a man on base.
Stephen Vogt pushed all the right buttons.
It was exactly what this team needed to stay ahead in the WC race, and also what they will need if they make it to the postseason. Also the Orioles lost. So CLE has a 1.5 game cushion over them and the Rangers, with the Jays 2.5 back.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 29: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees is congratulated after scoring a run during game 2 of a doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, August 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner (unlocked): The Yankees took a calculated risk in offering Trent Grisham the $22 million qualifying offer last winter, and you could make a fair argument the gamble hasn’t paid off. Grish has been the worst center fielder in baseball by OAA and the slowest at the position as well. He’s looked considerably more vulnerable at the position in the past couple of months, and unlike last year when he was also not great defensively, his 128 wRC+ bat has dropped a full 30 points, making him a below-average hitter. With every run — scored or allowed — meaning something for the Yankees right now, it’s time to wonder if he’s the right player for the September stretch run.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Speaking of outfielders, Spencer Jones. The Yankee rookie is starting to get his feet under him in the majors, with a 105 wRC+ on the season and some flashes of being an above-average player. This week’s series in Anaheim is something of a special moment for Jones, who was originally drafted by the Angels out of high school before going on to play college ball at Vanderbilt. Drafted in the 31st round in 2019, Jones was considered by the Angels org to have some two-way potential, but Vandy solidified the power profile into the player we know today.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Speaking of outfielders, Aaron Judge! The Yankee captain seems as though he will skip a rehab assignment and could be ready to return to the lineup next week in the Bronx. What I said above about every run being meaningful goes double for the three-time MVP, as 75-80 percent of Judge is still better than most of the players you could possibly run out on a field…including arguably the team’s starting center fielder.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Combining the need to save some bullpen arms, keep Max Fried on a calculated return from injury, and the fact he and Will Warren were lined up to pitch in the same game, Warren will likely act as a piggyback for the Yankee lefty Friday in San Diego. Piggybacking has long been rumored as the next stage of pitching strategy, and after Warren’s excellent start Sunday against the Red Sox, you have to be interested to see how it’ll turn out.
Lastly, we get an update on some bullpen depth decisions. Squeezed out of the active roster mix by the Yankees’ activation of Max Fried, recent Yankee relief addition Justin Topa will remain with the organization. He’s not one of the September “call-ups” — that would be erstwhile Royals reliever John Schreiber and the previously injured Ryan McMahon — but Topa is sticking around at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Justin Topa is staying with the #Yankees org on another minor league deal.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates hitting a three-run home run with Jonah Cox #53 in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One thing about aces is that while they’re usually the best card, in some rare games, they’re the lowest. That’s what happened Tuesday in Pittsburgh, when reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes faced off against three-time All-Star and one-time pitching WAR second-place finisher Logan Webb.
By the bottom of the third inning, Skenes had given up five runs and Webb was out of the game after giving up nine runs and failing to record an out. The result was a pitching-light game where the Giants produced two separate five-run innings and still lost, 13-12, on a walk-off error from Osleivis Basabe, on a play that started with a pretty nice stop from the out-of-position infielder. Like the final play itself, was some of the best and worst baseball you’ll ever see from both teams and the rare game that leaves both fanbases scarred and upset.
Should a baseball team have to walk it off in a game where they were up five runs in the 8th inning? Probably not, but that’s what happens when, on the second night in a row, a team failed to respect the bats of Turner Hill and Nate Furman. Hill went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and Furman delivered a game-tying two-run single in the 8th. Furman’s probably already worth what he cost in trade: The last 22 innings of Alex Cobb’s career.
It looked so promising early against Skenes, who has taken a step back in his third season but remains the Pirates’ ace. Osleivis Basabe battled through eight pitches to draw just his third walk of the season, equaling his total of hit-by-pitches. Drew Cavanaugh legged out an infield hit before Tony Vitello decided to get conservative for the apparent pitchers duel by bunting the runners to second and third.
It paid off when Christian Koss hit an RBI single, though Cavanaugh couldn’t repeat his speed demon effort to score from second. Clutch king Turner Hill knocked in Cavanugh with a single and Rafael Devers cleared the bases with his 31st home run of the season.
A 5-2 lead with Webb on the mound? The Giants were in business! Only Webb simply didn’t have his command, evidenced by drilling two hitters in a two-run 1st inning. The Giants got him out of the second inning with an impressive double play, but the 3rd inning was big trouble.
The Pirates hitters were scattering singles like an appreciative lunch buffet audience at the Gold Club. Webb gave up four straight hits, then issued two bases-loaded walks, which is really frowned upon. His night ended after perpetually-struggling former No. 1 pick Henry Davis hit Webb’s 33rd pitch — a 92 MPH fastball down the absolute middle of the plate — for a two-run single.
The improbably-named Braxton Roxby relieved Webb and immediately let Davis, who is no Drew Cavanaugh, steal second base easily. That meant Davis scored on Spencer Horowitz’s single. That was followed by a single from Brandon Lowe (4-for-6, three runs), the 9th straight Pirates hitter to reach base. Usually “batting around” doesn’t mean nine batters and zero outs but the 2026 Giants are a special team.
Roxby finally got an out on a fielder’s choice, then followed it up with a hit batsman and a two-run single from O’Neil Cruz (4-for-6, 4 RBI), who had two separate RBI singles in the 3rd. Final damage? 17 batters, nine hits, two walks, a HBP, a stolen base, and nine runs. It could have been worse, since the Pirates had the bases loaded when the inning finally ended.
But to their credit, the Giants did not cave. Cesar Perdomo, making his major-league debut, struck out four in four innings of relief and yielded only one run, on a Lowe home run.
Perdomo hadn’t pitched above A-ball this season, so this was a very impressive effort for the 24-year-old Venezuelan, who was promoted to the roster just hours before the game. He almost certainly didn’t think he’d be called upon in a Webb start, but he pitched admirably — there’s no shame in letting Lowe go deep for the 29th time this season.
The rookies came through once again. Jonah Cox, who also hadn’t played above A-ball before this season, went 2-for-5 with a walk and legged out an infield hit to get the Giants to 11-6 in the 6th. Cavanaugh, who had less than 200 plate appearances in AAA, went 3-for-5 with a two-run double. We think he’ll get a lower number than #61 next season.
Bryce Eldridge went 1-for-4, but walked twice to give him 49 BBs for the season, which is very encouraging for a 21-year-old. Furman has three hits in his last four at-bats and should get a chance at third base if his tiny body is able to make the long throw, or let Basabe (exceeded rookie limits in 2023) take the hot corner (apologies to all three Shay Whitcomb fans out there). And Braxton Roxby continues to break record for pitching statistics by a man named Roxby, though he has a ways to go to climb the ranks of Braxtons (there’s two other pitchers).
The Giants got to see their old friend Camilo Doval, who worked a scoreless 7th inning with two strikeouts. Thankfully, the Giants still have Parks Harber in the minors from that trade, restocking their reserves of players with extremely silly names.
In the climactic 9th inning, the Pirates were able to convert where the Giants simply couldn’t. Mason Montgomery hit a batter and gave up two hits, including a double from Cox, but got an early double play and induced Jung Hoo Lee (0-for-5 with a walk) to ground out to end the threat. Meanwhile, Carson Seymour gave up two hits, but got unlucky when Basabe couldn’t get Lowe on his final goundout.
It’s certainly better than losing in a blowout, and there were a lot of positives! Still, it was a game where even when the Giants roared back to tie, and Vitello pushed the right buttons, it still felt like they’d blow it. And they did, losing in a brand-new way than their previous 81 defeats.
The 2026 Giants may be bad, really bad. But they’ve still retained the ability to surprise their fans, even when it’s ultimately gut-wrenching. And that’s something.
Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker can't reach a fifth-inning homer by Cardinals shortstop Thomas Saggese at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers’ August woes followed them into the first day of September.
Roster expansion, returning three players from the injured list, the mental relief of turning the calendar page — none of that gave the Dodgers the boost they needed against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Instead, the Dodgers lost 13-8 to a team that entered the day 4 ½ games out of the last National League wild-card spot.
“I just think tonight we just got behind the eight ball,” manager Dave Roberts said.
During the Dodgers’ past seven series (following a high-scoring trip to Chicago), their rotation has recorded a top-five ERA (2.97) in the majors. But on Tuesday, left-hander Eric Lauer coughed up seven runs in three innings.
Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland chases the ball as the Cardinals' Nathan Church hits an RBI in the third inning Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
It was a personal outlier as well in Lauer’s time with the Dodgers. Lauer had given up more than three runs in just two other outings since the Dodgers acquired him from the Blue Jays in mid-May, and Tuesday marked his shortest start.
“I felt good warming up, felt good in the bullpen, then got out there and kind of just lost it,” Lauer said. “And you know it’s one of those things where you try to make adjustments and you try to work on things between, and I think I might have been just tinkering a little too much in between and getting outside of myself. So I think really just focusing on what I do well and repeating that and not trying to get too fancy and getting back to the basics is really all I can do.”
The Dodgers had briefly moved Lauer from the rotation into the bullpen, but he reclaimed his starting role when right-hander Roki Sasaki landed on the IL last week with a blister on his right middle finger.
Lauer’s start Tuesday began to go downhill in the second inning when he gave up back-to-back solo homers to Ramón Urias and Thomas Saggese with two outs.
Those two runs could have been quickly forgotten if Lauer had gotten back on track. The next inning, however, he surrendered five runs as the Cardinals kept chipping away with five singles, a hit batter, a walk and a sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers struck back in the bottom half of the inning — but not exactly with authority.
Mookie Betts’ bases-clearing double was assisted by a Cardinals defensive miscue. Right fielder Jordan Walker and second baseman José Fermín both raced after Betts’ shallow fly. As Fermín dashed back, Walker slid to attempt the catch — and took out Fermín’s feet from under him.
The ball fell to the ground. With two outs, Dodgers baserunners were going on contact and all three crossed the plate before Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson could retrieve the ball and throw it.
Betts’ bat stayed hot. And he contributed another RBI double in the fifth — this one smoked up the left-field line to drive in one run. But it didn’t do much to put a dent in the Cardinals’ lead.
The Cardinals continued to tack on against the Dodgers’ bullpen, powered by three more home runs, off right-hander Seth Halvorsen, lefty Alex Vesia and lefty Justin Wrobleski, fresh off the injured list.
Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández pitches during the ninth inning of a blowout loss to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Catcher Will Smith, who the Dodgers also activated from the IL Tuesday, put the ball in the air in his first four at-bats and was finally rewarded in the seventh inning with an RBI double. He drove in another run in the ninth, grounding into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, as part of a three-run last-ditch rally.
“I think that there were some positives with the at-bats,” Roberts said. “I liked some of the swings. I like taking walks when given to us. I like being able to push and runs across.”
All four players who the Dodgers activated on Tuesday appeared in the game. In addition to Smith and Wrobleski, second baseman Alex Freeland (recalled from triple A) started the game, and Dalton Rushing (reinstated from the IL) struck out in his lone pinch-hit at-bat. Rushing will provide a left-handed bat off the bench until he’s graduated from his throwing program and built up on the defensive side.
The score was so lopsided by the ninth inning that utility player Kiké Hernández took the mound to finish the game — but without his signature pitching helmet.
With two hits tonight, Colson Montgomery is 4-for-7 with two doubles and three RBIs through the first two games of the Houston series. | (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The White Sox (73-65) rebounded from Monday’s rough loss to the Astros (70-69), defeating Houston behind South Side ace Sean Burke. The righthander earned his eighth win of the season.
Despite getting off to a rocky start in the bottom of the first, Burke battled through his 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit while walking three and striking out six. The righty started the game with back-to-back walks. To his credit, Burke battled back from 3-0 to fill the count against Yordan Alvarez, but ultimately walked him to put two runners on with no outs. To be fair, a walk beats Yordan blasting a home run over the right-field wall, so all things considered, I’ll take it. Burke was able to lock in and induce three consecutive fly outs to get out of the jam. There was one final scare when José Altuve drove a ball to the wall in left, but Sam Antonacci had just enough room to make the catch.
Once Burke put the first inning behind him, he recovered beautifully and did not surrender a hit until the fifth. It would be the first and only hit he allowed. Burke labored early, running the count full five times and needing 49 pitches to complete the first two frames. He did, however, limit the damage and kept the Astros off the scoreboard.
The righty settled in during the third, needing only nine pitches to retire Houston in order. He also froze Alvarez with a 95-mph fastball for his second strikeout of the night. Burke rang up two more in the fourth, preserving the no-hitter a little longer. With one out in the fifth, Taylor Trammell poked a double down the right-field line to finally put Houston in the hit column, but Burke moved right along and recorded the final two outs without incident.
On the other side of the ball, the White Sox scattered a few hits through the first four frames but remained relatively quiet until the fifth. Their recent lack of situational hitting carried into the beginning of this one, and the South Siders made Ronel Blanco look much better than his ERA suggested. Blanco entered with an ERA above 7.00 but stranded five runners and kept the White Sox off the scoreboard. He struck out only three over four innings, while three walks helped drive up his pitch count. Still, he worked through the lineup well enough to keep Houston in the game.
It seemed like the Good Guys might have had something going in the second after Tristan Peters walked and Chase Meidroth ripped a base hit to right, but Peters got a bit too aggressive rounding second and was thrown out at third. The play was close, and although Chicago challenged the call, there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it.
Colson Montgomery has looked a lot better lately, slashing .280/.400/.600 with two home runs, seven RBIs, five walks and 11 strikeouts over his last seven games (25 at-bats). That improvement carried over into tonight’s game. Although Colson struck out in the first, he smoked a single in the fourth for his first of two hits on the night. Unfortunately, the Sox couldn’t capitalize, as Randal Grichuk sent one deep to right — just not deep enough.
Houston went to the bullpen for the fifth, and with Kai-Wei Teng on the mound, the White Sox bats finally started to wake up. Antonacci must have some sort of magnetic force pulling the ball toward his body because he was hit by a pitch for the 25th time this season. His foot took one for the team, igniting a three-run rally that put the Good Guys on the board. Miguel Vargas walked to reach base for the second time, and once again, Andrew Benintendi came through in the clutch, lining a single down the right-field line to drive in the first run of the game. In the next at-bat, Colson followed Benny’s lead by mashing a double into the right-field corner. The ball stayed just fair, bringing home two more and extending Chicago’s lead to 3-0.
The Good Guys took a scoring break in the sixth, but not for lack of trying. With one out, Chase Meidroth put himself in scoring position with a generously scored double, only to get caught in a rundown on Drew Romo’s ground ball. The good news is that the Sox added two insurance runs in the seventh. Tatsuya Imai issued walks to Munetaka Murakami and Colson, and Grichuk brought both of them home with a double to extend the lead to 5-0.
In addition to Burke’s solid performance, the bullpen was on point. Even with a bit of stress from Jordan Hicks in the eighth, the relievers limited the damage and preserved the lead. Lefthander Bryan Hudson relieved Burke and needed just one pitch to end the sixth, thanks to Antonacci’s diving catch for the final out. Hudson returned for the seventh and worked around a single by Trammell, striking out two in a scoreless frame.
With two outs in the eighth, it looked like Hicks was cruising through his appearance. He struck out Alvarez for the second out, but Isaac Paredes added a bit of chaos by smashing a solo shot over the tall left-field wall, cutting the Sox lead to 5-1. Because Houston has half of a Mickey Mouse ballpark, the home run carried just a .050 xBA and would have left only Daikin Park and — you probably guessed it! — Fenway Park. Hicks walked the next two batters to make things a bit dicey, but he struck out Christian Walker to end the threat. Thankfully, the run proved inconsequential.
Vargas led off the ninth with a single up the middle, reaching base for the third time on the night, but three consecutive Ks shut down the White Sox in their final trip to the plate. Vargas’ on-base streak now stands at 18 games, the second-longest active streak in baseball behind Bryce Harper.
The Ump Show briefly took center stage during Colson’s plate appearance. With a full count, he was called out on a pitch-clock violation despite already being in the batter’s box. The umpire ruled that Colson wasn’t engaged with the pitcher. It didn’t matter much with a four-run lead in the ninth, but that made two questionable calls by a home plate umpire in as many days. Lest we forget Monday’s foul-ball-that-wasn’t involving Anthony Kay.
The lack of additional offense was no problem for Grant Taylor, who needed 14 pitches to navigate a 1-2-3 ninth. He struck out two before ending the game with a ground out, securing Burke’s eighth win of the season.
Although they were better with runners in scoring position Tuesday, the South Siders went just 3-for-10 and stranded 10 runners, leaving at least one aboard in all but two innings. On the bright side, Vargas and even Benintendi continue to produce consistently. Colson also appears to be turning a corner, telling CHSN’s Brooke Fletcher during the postgame show that he is feeling much more confident at the plate and trying to build on that momentum.
Sadly, the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-1, so tonight’s win was much needed to maintain the White Sox’s three-game lead in the AL Central. Our old South Side pal Dylan Cease is scheduled to start for Toronto on Wednesday, and hopefully the Cy Young Award candidate can shut down the Guardians.
The White Sox still trail the Astros, 3-2, in the season series, meaning the South Siders must win the final two games in Houston to secure the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Davis Martin will start for the Good Guys on Wednesday, making his first major league appearance since Aug. 13. The righthander landed on the injured list the following day with a blister on his right middle finger, and the Sox could certainly use a healthy, well-rested Martin for the final month of the season.
